Effectiveness of visual merchandising on customer supermarket choice

Abstract

The retail market structure in Zimbabwe has changed from being a monopolistic structure to a perfect competition structure with many players coming in. It has become necessary, now more than before, for retailers to look at ways to influence customers' supermarket choice decisions. Previous researchers have established that the visual merchandising variable plays a greater role in influencing customer store decisions. This study aimed at establishing the extent to which visual merchandising variables influence customer supermarket choice decisions and at establishing which among the variables, are the most critical in customers' minds in evaluating supermarket choice. The research was carried out in supermarkets around Harare Central Business District, Msasa and Ruwa. A descriptive survey method was used to get information from customers about their behaviours, attitudes and values. Systematic sampling was used to select the customers (respondents). A total of forty customers were surveyed, representing the sample size. Results show that all visual merchandising variables affect customer store choice in varying degrees. Store choice decisions were also found to be influenced by other factors like customer care, promotions, prices, and quality of merchandise with customer care and prices being the most considered by customers in making their choice decisions. The study recommends that retailers should pay particular attention to all visual merchandising variables as results show that all variables have varying degrees of influence on customer store choice. Retail players must also pay more attention on product variety and displays and interior store designs which are the major variables that customers consider when making store choice decisions.